Second Side
by Colorslander
Summary: [AnzuKaiba] Physical attraction, much like everything else, is a game. And many times it doesn’t have to be followed up with love.


**The Second Side**

Splintered Soul (Silent Shadow)

x-x-x-x

WARNINGS: OOC- Kazuku Takahashi weeps for his characters. Some kissing but no one has dropped dead from cooties as of yet.

x-x-x-x

Kaiba Corp was rather a drab place. For a company with millions, it wouldn't hurt to spice up the place a bit, a bright flourish carpet now and then would be nice. But what could you expect from a business run by Kaiba Seto himself?

The building was gray and simple, everything from the walls to the desks was perfectly angular and straight. And for some reason Mazaki Anzu always had to wrap her arms around herself to stay at a comfortable warm. There was something always chilly about Kaiba Corp, like a frost that one couldn't shake off no matter how high you turned up the heat. In a lot of respects, the building reminded Anzu of Kaiba.

Speak of the devil, Kaiba came swooping into the building, tailored suit freshly pressed and his face in a scowl that seemed to radiate his message of annoyance of the world. He had a forceful walk- as strange as that sounded, but it managed to make people jump out of his path even when they were yards away.

A few obligatory greetings were called out by his subordinates, but they were pretty much ignored by him. Walking passed Anzu, who sat behind her dingy secretary desk, he received no welcome from her. Which was OK, he didn't expect nor want one.

Anzu gathered the array of files on her desk into a semi-neat pile and lifted them up to her arms, following Kaiba into his office. For a monotone looking place, it also reeked of something impressive. Just like Kaiba himself, it annoyed Anzu.

"Well, well. You actually came to work," Anzu said as she let the folders fall roughly on his desk. Kaiba was a workaholic but he usually staid at home, and it was left up to Anzu to spend the better part of her youth faxing the mountain load of paperwork to him.

"Business meetings," he said as he began to shift through the folders.

"_Oh yeah_," Anzu cocked her head as the memory of scheduling that appointment returned to her. The man on the phone was pretty rude and she spent most of the day working around his and Kaiba's schedule, trying to restrain the incredible urge to scream obscenities at the man.

"Is this all?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"Then why are you still here?"

Normally Anzu would be put off by his by his attitude but she was use to it.

"I don't want to yet," she said almost whimsically, and she sat herself on Kaiba's desk facing him. A creeping look of disdain swallowed his face; he knew what she was doing. She was playing her game again, she had that look in her eyes. A very un-Anzu look.

He gave her the Kaiba look to ward her off. She dubbed it the "Kaiba look" because it wasn't really anything else. It wasn't exactly a stare, a bit harsher than a glare, definitely not a sneer- Kaibas' _don't_ sneer- it's beneath them. It was just the Kaiba look, cool and demanding.

He should know by now, Anzu though crossing her legs, that she wasn't one of those spineless employees who cowers under those sharp eyes. She never jumped out of his rampage, she never allowed him to talk down to her, and she sure as hell never called him Kaiba-_san_.

"Get off my desk."

"Sure," she slid off his desk towards him and then she lowered her head towards his. This game was the most dangerous kind, Kaiba never let any other employee come this close without them getting fired.

Anzu smiled as she crushed her lips to his, letting her malleable soft lips perfectly match his.

This game of theirs, she had already won a long time ago.

Testing waters, she tilted her head and deepened the kiss, mindful not to break contact. Doing so meant that he would get a chance to tell her to back off. It was the only way to get her to stop since, for some inexplicable reason, his hands refused to push her away.

If it were anyone else, Anzu was sure that he would kick them out on their ass. But not Anzu, if he did so that would mean that he was accepting defeat. Yet, wouldn't the very fact that Kaiba was kissing her back already declare it so?

Anzu lifted her face from his, allowing them to finally breath. Kaiba always tasted cold.

"I should go back and answer the telephones in case someone important calls," Anzu straitened herself and began to walk out of the office.

"Don't do that ever again."

"You say that every time but you never push me away."

"What do you have to gain from this?"

"What do you have to lose from this?"

Kaiba didn't answer but went right back to sorting through his papers as if nothing had happened.

"Well, Kaiba, I'll leave you to your work," Anzu said as she opened and closed the office doors behind her.

Their relationship was strange. The fact that it wasn't really a relationship at all, at least not in the sense that one would use the word nowadays. They could have a tongue-fest right in his office but she would never call him by his first name. It was funny if you thought about it one way, yet sad and twisted in another.

But the truth is, not all attraction has to be followed my love.

That was the underlying foundation of whatever Anzu and Kaiba were right now.

Anzu let a slight smirk trickle up her face at the thought of her friends ever walking in on Kaiba and her. Jounouchi's eyes would pop out of his sockets. She wouldn't blame him, before this _thing_ started, if anyone told her that she would lip-lock with the arrogant bastard she would punch the person in the mouth.

But when years go by and so much has changed but you feel the same- things happen. Anzu absentmindedly twirled her pen around her fingers. She could remember when it started. Not completely sure why it happened, but she could remember it in surprising detail, despite her current state. A flashbulb memory.

x-x-x-x

"_Being drunk wasn't so bad_," Anzu thought swinging slightly- shifting her weight foot from foot. Not like she _was_ drunk that day, just a bit tipsy. But being drunk would be better than having a clear head now.

Because today... is the anniversary of Atemu's crossing.

Oh, but the reality was, of course, covered up by the clever guise of it being a celebration for all the great duelists. A party at Kaiba's- in a crude way of saying it.

Yuugi, of course, was invited. And if he went- so did his ever-faithful following. Kaiba even gritted his teeth and allowed Jounouchi to come. Strangely enough they didn't bicker as usual. Instead, when no one was looking, they all tipped their glasses of champagne to the skies-

_To Atemu_

-and, as underage as they were, drank in his memory.

Anzu took a bit more drinks that the rest and felt incredibly more woozy than she ever did. It took Honda and Yuugi's combined efforts to drag her off of the dancing floor where she was happily flinging her arms about oblivious to the stares.

Soon after they forced her into a chair, they were dragged to the dance floor themselves. Jounouchi with Mai, Yuugi by the rampid hordes of fangirls that wanted to meet the Game King, and Honda trying to beat Otogi to a dance with Shizuka.

"You're not dancing either, Kaiba-kun?" she asked the stolid man that stood behind her.

"You're drunk."

"Tipsy. _T-I-p-s-y._ There's a difference."

"Oh?"

Anzu never even tasted an alcoholic beverage before, she didn't know if there was a difference. But in an inebriated state she could say there was.

"Kaiba, do you dance?"

"No."

Well that line of conversation was cut short.

"Kaiba will you dance with me?"

She must be incredibly 'tipsy.'

"No."

"Kaiba-kun. Do you know what?"

He was trying to ignore her now and he started to walk away. Without her better judgment to guide her, she followed after him in a sort of stumbling amble.

"You're rude. And cold. And dark. But strangely mysterious," it came slowly and slurred but came more pronounced as she stated every word- as if she were thinking really hard. Then her face bloomed with realization- an answer to a nagging question.

"You!" her body sort of fell on his for support and her blue eyes sparkled with excitement, "You remind me of Atemu!"

"What?"

Anzu's smile dropped from her face. It seemed every time she mentioned his name she would immediately sober up.

"I think I need a drink..."

x-x-x-x

The morning after she solemnly swore never to drink again. Not only did it feel as if someone was hammering away at her head, but she had hit on Kaiba!

Kaiba? What had brought that up?

True she had thought of him _that _way, but she was a normal teenager. Kaiba was rich, he was handsome, he was mysterious. Of course she's thought of him before (who hadn't?), but that was only when he was not around so she wouldn't have to be constantly reminded of his foul attitude.

And then, as if God were playing with her head, she found that being Kaiba's secretary would be the easiest way to earn money and not risk getting caught by her teachers. Who knew that two years later, she'd still be working here. And that her hormones, mixed with the closest thing to an adrenaline rush as she got since Atemu, would kick in when she was with Kaiba.

The hardest part to believe was her finding that Kaiba, in fact, was not asexual. If that wasn't enough to blow her mind, but it was how easy it was to 'defeat' him. Kaiba had rock solid layers of protection against nearly every emotional attack out there, but he wasn't ready for anything that was against physical attraction. The difficult part was getting close enough to do so, but once you were able to- Kaiba fell like a stack of cards.

Victory is easy.

Anzu nibbled on the end of her pen. Raw attraction, when unadulterated by actual feelings, was a powerful force. But it was very much like a drug- it's exhilarating when your in the actual presence of it; then when you're away you feel empty. It was fun to place the seducer and win, but it's really a hollow victory.

She had lost to herself.

"_It doesn't matter_," she thought to herself, "_Doesn't matter because this game's gonna end_."

Somewhere, in the midst of papers he was going through, he was going to find her resignation letter. Anzu was a dancer, not a secretary. And she was a good girl, not a person that played on somebody's lust.

The Kaiba game was a nice needed break from reality but it's time to reenter the world.

x-x-x-x

The opening night of the Japanese rendition of the New York Broadway show- "The Black Magician Girl In the Moonlight" had finally ended. Anzu had tried out months awhile ago, and had waited a week by the phone to see if she got in- nailing up horseshoes, rubbing fake rabbit's feet, and avoiding ladders.

She had pounced possessively every time to phone rang, so after the week was over Anzu was a nervous wreck; people at her work had begun to ask if she had been getting enough sleep.

Then finally call came, she had gotten in. It was the most mind-numbing experience she had ever had; she wasn't sure if she was suppose to scream like an idiot in the receiver or just stare at the ear piece dumbfounded. It didn't matter what her reaction was, she was part of it.

She hadn't needed to work at Kaiba corp anymore, her dream was within grasp.

Anzu sighed with content, it had gone smoothly. She tugged on her small headset part of her costume, which held up the blue veil that covered her hair, and tried to shift the tight blue leotard so it fit more appropriately. You see Anzu didn't get the part she had always wanted- the Black Magician Girl.

She was chosen to be the Blue Eyes White Dragon.

The moment she received that information, it was as if a wind passed through her body. Still, it was a decent sized part and she was just happy to be in the Broadway play. Even better, the costume was absolutely gorgeous. Since they weren't exactly going to make a dragon costume, they took the artistic liberty of making it as beautiful as they could. The head set was almost like a crown, woven thin strands of silver-like metal around her head, the light skirt fell eloquently down her knees like air, pearls strung around her body, and lovely designs in the fabric and sequences that made her glitter in the light.

Just being in the costume gave Anzu a certain high.

"Oi, Anzu," one of her dance partners yelled, "hurry up- they're leaving."

It was a particular tradition of this theater to farewell the guests as they left the building. Anzu's feet padded heavily on the floor as she ran to get in line with the rest of the dancers at the gate. She watched as the crowd walked towards them to leave, trying to give their compliments to as many of the dancers as the could before they were pushed out of the exit.

Anzu's face flushed with happiness whenever someone shook their hands and told her how well she looked that night. "The dance was even more wonderful than your costume!"

Anzu was sure that she could walk on clouds.

"Oh Mazaki-chan!" an excited voice came to her attention, it seemed very familiar.

"Pegasus?"

"You remember me," Pegasus nodded in satisfaction.

"_How could I not?_" she refrained from saying anything and simply smiled to the best of her ability.

"I was here on a business trip, you know," he explained as if she cared, "And I heard they were showing this play here in Japan, and I simply had to see it. I insisted that I come and my business partner too."

"Business partner?"

"Kaiba-boy! Come here!"

Anzu's mood dropped incredibly quickly, _Kaiba_ was here?

Ever since he found her resignation letter, he had been more cold to her than usual; if that was possible. It was as if they had never plaid their little game, they were simply overworked secretary and the boss. She was happy to get out of there by the time she was done, and looking forward into the fact that she wouldn't have to see Kaiba until the next Atemu remembrance. Just being around him made her feel like the air was thick enough to choke on.

Yet, despite plans and hopes, there he was. Kaiba in his trenchcoat with an aggravated look, and good reason too since he was forced to come to a play. Kaiba Seto doesn't go to plays.

"Oh Kaiba-kun. Hello."

There was no reply and Anzu felt a little irritated. He could at least acknowledge hwe presence.

"Well, if your going to act like a child, Kaiba-_chan_ then..."

"You look ridiculous," Kaiba interrupted Anzu's hissings under her breath. Her face flushed.

"What?"

"Your costume makes you look like a whorish gypsy."

Anzu resisted the urge to smack him in the face but too many people were watching. It wasn't a good thing to have on a resume that she hit one of the world's wealthiest entrepreneurs across his smug face, no matter how much he deserved it.

"Me? Look at you. Your skin looks washy and sickly, your hair is over-gelled and greasy, and you clothes are so starchy that they stand on end."

"The real Blue Eyes White Dragon," he said without paying heed to her words, "Didn't need extravagants to look beautiful. She was a simple and perfect. You look nothing like her."

She had a sharp counter ready but it had stopped in her throat. She had seen the Blue Eyed Girl before. She remembered her simple elegance, a beautiful frailty. Nothing like her costume.

But that... that wasn't the point!

A strange feeling stirred in her body. An adrenaline rush, but not the good kind that she got while she danced. Not the kind that she had when she suspected Yuugi was in danger. Not the kind that she had when her life was threatened. There were no words, no precedent, to what she felt at that moment.

He had compared her to one of his most precious things. And he insulted her to her face, as if she was nothing. She was nothing to him.

Her eyes that were glazed with shock returned with sharpness to rival Kaiba's, and her hand swung through the air to connect painfully with any part of his face. She yearned to hear the crack of his bones, or a moan of pain.

He simply caught her hand, she was denied. She tried to yank free but he didn't let go; instead he jolted his hands upward, to signal that he wanted eye contact. And when her blue eyes connected with his she saw it, the flash of victory. Kaiba had finally beat her.

With his message portrayed he let her hand go and walked away, along with a completely oblivious Pegasus.

Anzu's hands began to shake and her legs didn't feel strong enough to support her. She felt so sick she wanted to collapse, but then again she wanted to run as far and as fast as she could to anywhere.

"Am I angry because I lost?" she whispered to herself.

_No_.

"I'm disoriented, because I'm nothing to him."

She was never anything to him. It never bothered her before, why did it hurt her now?

x-x-x-x

Kaiba Corp hadn't changed at all, Anzu decided. It was still the bleak cold atmosphere than ever before. She wasn't sure why she found herself here again of all places. But she came and she found her feet pushing her unwilling body towards Kaiba's office.

She noted that the new secretary was a woman in her late forties, way too old for Kaiba. In a strange way it comforted Anzu. She tried her best to push the notion out of her head.

"Do you have an appointment?" the graying lady as she pushed her glasses from the bridge of her nose.

"Yes," Anzu lied

"Please state your na- Hey! You can't just walk in there!"

Anzu was on a mission right now, she paid no attention to the frantic cries of the new secretary. Going to the double doors that separated Kaiba's office with the rest of the building, she shoved them as hard as she could open. They banged on their respective walls loud enough to get Kaiba's head to rise and see what was going on.

"So... sorry Mr. Kaiba. She just barged in and-"

"That's fine. Leave us."

The women look slightly baffled but was too frightened not to follow his orders. Even Anzu was surprised, she wasn't exactly level-headed but she still expected Kaiba to have some resistance.

_"It's because he thinks he won._"

She slammed her hand down on his desk.

"Who the hell do you think you are? You can't insult me where I work."

"But you can harass me at mine?

Damnit, he got her there.

"You're a bastard who thinks he can trample over people."

"As opposed to a woman who thinks she can seduce anyone."

It was like a game of chess, Kaiba was always a step ahead. She didn't like this part of the game.

"That's over, it's old news. Stop wallowing in it like a child and grow up."

"I don't think you have. In fact, I think its gotten worse for you."

He was now playing offensive rather than defensive. Offensive is what Kaiba did best.

"Because _you_ have feelings for _me_."

Anzu's eyes flashed angrily and her mind screamed blasphemy. This was her game, this was her win and she was going to resort to her undefeated tactic.

She walked over to him and pulled him into, kissing him openmouthed. She worked his lips with such mastery that it crushed any fleeting thought of dissent. Her tongue swirled in his mouth and demanded dominance- Kaiba was too premature for this kind of action and gave it to her. In attempts to deepen her kiss further, she unconsciously pressed her body closer to his, forcing his chair to recline slightly from the force.

When she withdrew, they were both out of breath and slightly flustered. He had reacted like always did before, but suddenly that wasn't enough. Kissing him was different now, why couldn't he feel that? Was she the only one that tingled at their touch and felt the pleasant warm sensation that spread through the body.

Why was it different now?

Could it have been like the saying went, his absence made her heart grow fonder? Did she... love him?

She could see it. His smirk, he was claiming victory.

"Damnit!"

"So, am I right?"

"Bastard."

There a prolonged silence. Neither of them knew what was appropriate to say.

"_This is wrong anyway,_" A sigh of resignation, "_Leave this place. You don't need it. It's time you got rid of everything Kaiba once and for all_."

"This was a mistake."

Kaiba didn't respond but his brows slightly raised.

"Shouldn't have bothered. I'm going now- you won."

Kaiba's overconfident stature slipped away and a frown once again appeared. Anzu turned so her back was facing him, and then slowly walked to the door. Last time leaving was so much easier. And she didn't really have to face him before, she had cowered under a letter.

But even so, this time was forever. She neared the door and willed herself to touch the knob. It'll all be over soon.

"Mazaki."

His call seemed to have sucked all her willpower away from her, and she stood frozen in time. Holding her breath she waited for him to say whatever he was going to say.

"You lost because of the two sides of this game, you couldn't control the stronger side. I can, I lost to you at one time but I can perfectly mask whatever may come through the stronger side."

She didn't understand what he was saying; was he drunk?

Yet slowly her mind began to digest the words. Two sides: affection and physical attraction. Originally she could win because she knew how to handle physical attraction while he didn't. She lost because she finally had feelings for him. He won because he could mask any feeling he had for her.

"_Why would he need to mask something that wasn't there? Does that mean?_" Anzu's eyes went wide and she spun around to look at him in utter confusion.

"Don't read too much into it," he stated, but there was something guarded about that statement that confirmed what she had thought.

"There's always a clerical job open. I take it that dancing doesn't pay too well. Especially in-between shows."

"Kaiba your a bastard," she said matter-of-factly; it sounded like an acceptance.

"Good."

This game was done, a victor was established. It was time to play something new.

x-x-x-x

A/N Normally I try until my eyes bleed to keep characters as IC as possible. But college has drained my stamina and I really needed to write something. Kaiba/Ansu is extremely hard to write. I had no patience so this little troll was born.

Not only that but a couple of ideas spawned this fic. First off, all the K/A stories I have read have Kaiba making the first move. So I was like, hey- why not make it different. Actually I'm not sure if that's still the case, I haven't read a YGO! Fic in months.

This is probably the most raw fic I ever wrote. It's pretty mild compared to most but I still try to stray away from physical...ness.

It was sort of a response to some other fics in other fandoms I've been reading. Lots of near smut that claim they're romance but all they do is imitate bunnies. Which is fine by me but it's always a good thing to remember that "OMG his ass is so hawt" doesn't necessarily mean that they're in love. XP.

The title of the Broadway show is used in the anime. I did not pull that crappy title out of my ass. Thank you.


End file.
